Development of shooting skills is a key element for success in goal-oriented sports. Factors which contribute to an effective shot include accuracy, speed, ability to strike target areas, and quickness to release the shot. Developing these skills in a practice session increases the chance of scoring a goal during actual competition.
In the sport of hockey for example, the areas of the hockey goal proximal to both goal posts, along the ice, and between the goaltender's legs are considered target areas. In these regions, it is generally more difficult for the goaltender to react to an incoming hockey puck. It therefore follows that shots directed into these regions have a greater likelihood of entering the goal.
In the most common training method, a live goaltender is used to oppose the shot. However, the goaltender's movements are unpredictable and often times inconsistent, especially in an amateur setting. In addition, the skill levels of participants, referred to herein as "skaters" or "shooters", and goaltenders attending a practice session may vary. Since shooting skill development requires a consistent target, live goaltenders can sometimes be unattractive for shooting practice.
Furthermore, goaltenders may be unavailable during a practice session or during a pickup session due to illness, injury, or involvement in other drills. To overcome this, skaters sometimes turn the goal on its side or on its face to provide a smaller goal area at which to shoot. This makes the act of scoring a goal more challenging but does not train the shooters to strike preferred target areas of the goal.
Others employ wood or plastic blockers as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,840,228, 3,856,298, and 3,887,181. These devices block the shots directed to the low-probability regions of the goal, in other words, those regions of the goal which would generally be covered by the goaltenders. These blocking devices are generally complicated, heavy and awkward to install. Furthermore, a shooter who strikes the dummy goaltender is falsely rewarded with the feeling of having a "goal" when the blocker stops the puck even though the puck was directed to a non-preferred region of the goal.
FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a standard prior art sports goal 20. The goal 20 comprises left and right goal posts 22A, 22B, adapted to rest normal to the playing surface 34, a crossbar 24 perpendicular to each of the goalposts 22A, 22B and parallel to the playing surface 34, and a net 26. The net 26 captures or otherwise stops a puck directed therein when a goal is scored. A rear support bar 30, and rear support posts 28A and 28B provide rigidity to the goal, allowing it to rest on the playing surface 34 as a rigid structure.